To turn back time
by purplepagoda
Summary: If time could be put in reverse, maybe this woman's untimely demise could have been prevented. Maybe things could have been different. What happens when the secrets of one woman's past change the CSI's lives forever?
1. Chapter 1

It started out like any other day. Cases were handed out, CSI's rolled. Each CSI headed to their crime scene. No one could have seen what that day would bring. None of them could have guessed that it would change things forever for one of the CSI's. Past indiscretions, and regrets were something that they all hid deep inside not wanting anyone else to find out. Nick and Greg follow Brass into a townhouse where the neighbor reported shots fired. On the first floor of the town house they find the kitchen, living room, dining room, and bathroom to all be clear. They cautiously climb the stairs to the second floor. The enter the room immediately to the right and find a body on the ground next to the bed. Nick checks for a pulse. Brass clears the other two rooms of the upstairs. Greg and Nick just stare at the body of the woman on the floor. She looks eerily familiar to the both of them, but before either of them can convey that thought to the other Brass comes into the room very quietly.

"Guys," he says softly.

"Yeah?"

"I need you two to be very quiet while I go make a phone call."

"Brass what's going on?" Nick questions.

"We have a bit of a situation."

"Meaning?" Greg raises an eye brow.

"Follow me," he tells them.

They follow him to a second bedroom. For some reason Greg reaches for the light switch. Suddenly Brass's hand is on his, "Don't," he whispers.

The follow him to an adjacent wall. He stops in front of a window.

"Why is it so dark in here?" Greg asks.

"There's something over the window," Nick remarks.

"But what?" Greg probes.

"Guys keep your voices down," Brass warns.

"Why?"

Brass flips on his flashlight. The other two men stare at what's in front of them.

"Not a baby. I hate..." Nick shakes his head.

"He's sleeping," Brass points out.

The room falls silent for a moment and they listen to the whistling of the sleeping infant.

"I'm going to go call CPS."

"Ok," Greg nods.

The three of them file out of the room. Brass heads down the stairs, and Greg and Nick return to the bedroom. Greg starts taking pictures.

"Why are you being so quiet Greggo?"

"I was just thinking."

"Just thinking what?"

"This girl..."he stops himself.

"What about her?"

"She looks like a younger version of Catherine."

"You're just saying that because of the hair."

"Oh so you didn't think the same thing?"

"Maybe for a second, but we need to stay focused."

"You're right," Greg nods and continues to take pictures.

They've been at the crime scene twenty five, or thirty minutes when the baby starts crying. Suddenly it stops. Nick and Greg just look at each other. They silently make their way down the hall and find Brass–sans his bulletproof vest–holding a tiny little boy.

The woman from CPS arrives an hour later and retrieves the infant that had been identified as Jacob Kendall. When Nick and Greg finish with the crime scene they return to the lab. They're going through evidence when Catherine joins them.

"So I heard that there was a baby at your scene today."

"Yeah. He was perfectly fine though. He was just sleeping in his crib when we found him," Nick answers her.

"So what do you know about the victim?"

"Her name is Emily Kendall. She has one son, Jacob Kendall, who is twelve days old," Nick informs her.

"Husband or boyfriend?" Catherine asks.

"Husband staff sergeant Bradley Jacob Kendall. Killed in Kuwait a month ago," Greg tells her.

"Autopsy?"

"They're backed up in autopsy," Nick huffs.

Greg's phone rings he flips it open. "Yeah we'll be right down," he tells the party on the other line.

"Autopsy?" Catherine guesses.

"Uh huh, you wanna come with us?" Nick offers.

She nods. When they get to autopsy Al Robbins is waiting on them. They file in around the stainless steel table. Catherine remains silent. Nick breaks the silence.

"So what's the verdict Doc?"

"COD was a gun shot wound to the heart. It was a 22 caliber. Through and through."

"We collected a casing from the scene," Greg adds.

The room fills with silence once again. "What's going on?" Catherine questions.

"What are you talking about?" Greg questions trying to seem oblivious.

"Why are you all being so quiet?" she wonders aloud.

Greg looks at Nick, who instantly casts his gaze to the floor.

"Guys? What's going on. Whatever it is just tell me. If there's a problem let me know, I'm your supervisor, it's my job to..."

"It's just that she looks like you is all...a lot like you," Greg answers not engaging her glance.

"Oh. Ok. So why is that a problem?"

"It's not," Nick answers quickly.

"It's just sort of creepy," Greg boldly admits.

"Oh. Well suck it up. You two have a job to do, and I expect it to get done, no matter who the victim looks like."

"Yes ma'am," Nick agrees.

Nick and Greg have just finished eating lunch when Nick gets a call. "Give me a minute," he tells Greg as he heads to go through the rest of the evidence. Greg is studying crime scene photos when Nick joins him a few moments later.

"I just got a call from Jacob Kendall's case worker."

"About what?"

"She told me that she placed him in emergency foster care."

"And?"

"She was wondering if we could find next of kin."

"There's no next of kin listed," Greg points out.

"I found this box in Emily's closet. It's just labeled personal stuff." Nick reveals.

There is a stack of papers inside the box. They carefully lift it out. They each take approximately half.

"I've got Jacob's birth certificate," Greg tells Nick, "And Bradley Kendall's obituary. It says that he was survived by his wife and son. It also says that he was preceded in death by his parents James and Mary Kendall."

"Listen to this. I have a newspaper article from eight years ago. It's about a car accident that killed six, with only two survivors. It says that Anne and Robert Bennet, and their son Michael were killed in the car crash. Emily Bennet and Jeff Ryan miraculously survived with minor contusions, and a few broken bones,"Nick paraphrases.

"So her parents and brother died in a car accident?"

"Yeah. And her husband's parents are dead too?" Greg questions.

"Yeah."

"Wait I have adoption papers here."

"She had another kid?"

"No she was adopted," Greg answers.

"Does it say who her biological parents are?"

"No it's just an agreement that her adopted parents signed agreeing not to seek contact with the biological mother. It says that, 'the biological mother wishes to remain anonymous, and does not wish to be contacted under any circumstances.' This girl has terrible luck. Her adopted parents died, her husband is dead, her husband's parents are dead, and she had no idea who her birth mother was."

"So her son has no one," Nick comments.

"No."

There is a knock on the door frame. The two CSI's look up.

"How are things going?" Catherine questions.

"Terrible. She didn't shoot herself, and we have no idea who would want her dead," Nick answers.

"Her adopted parents, brother, husband, and his parents are all dead. Which means her son has no family to take him," Greg adds.

"She was adopted?" Catherine asks innocently.

"Yeah. She was surrendered at birth. The birth mother's identity is undisclosed. We really don't have anything to go on here," Nick replies.

"Why would anyone kill a twenty-six year old woman who has had such a traumatic life?" Greg asks.

"She died three weeks before her birthday, and left her son totally alone. I hate cases like this," Nick adds.

"When was her birthday?" Catherine asks.

"May 12th."

"I'll be in my office if you need me. Keep at it, I'm sure that you two will figure it out," Catherine ducks out.

There is a moment of silence. Nick looks at Greg who is waiting expectantly. "What's up with her?" Nick questions.

"What do you mean?"

"Any other time she'd be right here helping us. Something isn't right here."

"Maybe she's just as creeped out as we are," Greg offers.

"No. I don't think so. Catherine doesn't get creeped out."


	2. Chapter 2

"So what do we do now?" Greg asks.

"What do you mean?"

"Who do we release her body to once we find her killer?"

"I don't know," Nick shrugs.

"Did you get anything off the shoe print?"

"Chuck Taylor's Converse size seven in men's."

"That doesn't help though, does it? I mean half of America wears that shoe,"Greg sighs hopelessly.

"Do you think that Emily tried to find her biological mother?"

"Probably," Greg nods.

"I have a receipt from a Grant Tyson."

"Your point?"

"Maybe he was a private investigator."

"I guess," Greg nods continuing to sift through his pile.

Several minutes later Greg finally hits pay dirt. "I'm at the bottom of my pile."

"Then double check everything Greggo."

"The last thing in the pile is an email. The first part is from Emily to Grant Tyson."

"Read it to me."

"Dear Mr. Tyson, I would like your assistance in locating my birth mother. My husband was recently killed over seas, and I have no other family. This is very important."

"When was this from?"

"Two days before her son was born. Grant replied saying, 'Dear Mrs. Kendall I am very sorry for your loss. I would be glad to help you find your birth mother. If you could send me any information that you have about where you were born, and what agency you were adopted through it would make my search much easier. I'll contact you when I have any information on your birth mother.' Do you have her call records?"

"Yeah they're here somewhere why?"

"Maybe Grant Tyson contacted Emily," Greg suggests.

"And?"

"Maybe he found her birth mother."

"And what?" Nick asks.

"Maybe it got her killed," Greg adds.

"I think that we need to talk to Grant Tyson."

"Or what if we run Emily's mitochondrial against CODIS?"

"Let's do both," Nick agrees.

Greg pulls Emily's call records out of a stack on the table.

"Her last call was from this number," he points to a number and then adds, "This number has called her three times in two weeks."

"I'll look it up," Nick tells him, sitting down at the computer. He types in the number.

Greg reads the information aloud, "Tyson Investigative Services."

"He's at 44 Walnut."

Half an hour later they arrive at Tyson Investigative Services. A young blonde girl sits at a desk smacking her gum. Nick takes off his sunglasses and approaches the girl.

"Can I help you?" she asks.

"Can we speak to Grant Tyson?"

"Who are you?" she asks.

Nick flashes his badge, "Nick Stokes, Crime Lab."

"He's in his office," she tells them.

When they reach the office door Greg knocks on the door.

"Come in," a voice answers.

They enter the office. "Can I help you?" Grant asks them.

"We'd like to talk to you about Emily Kendall."

"I'm sorry but..."

"She was killed," Greg cuts him off.

"Is her son ok?"

"He's fine," Nick assures him.

"What can you tell us about her?" Greg questions.

"Did you find her biological mother?" Nick probes.

"Emily was born at Desert Palms on May 12th 1982. I managed to get a hold of the hospital records. None of the babies were named Emily. There were fourteen babies born on the that day. Six were girls. I have the list of names if you'd like them."

"Yes."

Grant opens a filing cabinet and pulls out a manilla folder. He hands Nick a piece of paper.

"Thank you for your cooperation Mr. Tyson," Nick thanks him.

They're climbing into the Denali when Greg's cell phone rings. Nick listens carefully to the forty five second phone call that ends in Greg hanging up in disbelief.

"Who was it?"

"Wendy."

"What did she want?"

"She ran Emily's DNA."

"And?" Nick questions.

"What did you do with that list?"

"It's laying on the backseat. Why?" Nick wonders.

Greg grabs the list. He reads it carefully as Nick drives.

"Greg, buddy what's going on?"

"This isn't good," he answers.

"What's not?"

"Pull over."

"Greg, just tell me."

"Pull over and I will."

"Why do I have to pull over?"

"Please just pull over," Greg begs.

"Ok," Nick agrees.

"I'll admit that the possibility entered my mind, but I didn't think that..."

"Greg what the hell is going on?"

"Look at the list," Greg suggests as he hands Nick the list.

Nick reads through it. He quickly gets to the last name. He shakes his head and looks at Greg, "What? What am I missing?"

"The last name."

"Baby Hope?"

"Yeah," Greg answers.

"What about her?"

"It's Emily."

"How can you know?"

"Read it all."

"She was born at 3:37 A.M., weighed six pounds and nine ounces..."

"Yeah."

"I don't get it."

"You're in denial aren't you?" Greg questions.

"About what?"

"Read the mother's name," Greg instructs.

"C. Flynn."

"Yeah."

"Would you tell me what's going on?"

"Wendy got a match to Emily's mitochondrial DNA."

"So?"

"Think about it."

"Emily's mother is a criminal?"

"No."

"In the armed services?"

"Nick it's Catherine."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Emily Kendall's biological mother is Catherine."

"No she's not."

"The DNA was a match Nick."

"There was a mistake."

"She ran it three times."

"But Catherine..."

"Her maiden name is Flynn."

"I just don't think that..."

"Nick it's her. Catherine is Emily's mother."

"What did you tell Wendy?"

"That we'd explain when we got back, and not to say anything."

"But?"

"But if Catherine asks it would be considered insubordination if she didn't tell her."

After parking in the garage they take their time walking in. Wendy is waiting on them when they get in.

"What's going on?" she demands to know.

"I don't think that we should tell you," Nick answers.

"Why?"

"It's complicated," Greg adds.

"Where's Catherine?" Nick asks.

"In her office."

The two men walk away leaving Wendy standing in the middle of the hallway. Catherine's door is ajar when they reach it. Nick knocks quietly. Catherine motions them in. Nick shuts the door and then they both take seats. Catherine looks at them suspiciously.

"What's going on? Are you guys having trouble with your case?"

"Yeah," Greg answers.

"So you still don't have any leads?"

"Not about the killer," Nick answers.

Greg hands her a piece of paper. "What's this?" she asks.

"We talked to a private investigator that Emily hired to find her birth mother," Greg answers.

Catherine never looks at the piece of paper. She stares at Greg, and then Nick.

"He gave us this list," Nick adds.

"Which it turns out we didn't even need because Wendy found a match with Emily's DNA," Greg finishes.

"What's the problem? Are you considering the birth mother as a suspect?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"We can account for her whereabouts during the time of the shooting."

"Did you contact her?"

"We didn't have to," Nick answers.

"Then how can you know where she was?"

"You were here," Greg answers.

"Excuse me?"

"You don't have to pretend, we know," Nick tells her.

"Know what?" Catherine asks.

"Wendy ran Emily's mitochondrial DNA three times to be sure," Greg tells her.

"You're a match," Nick adds.

Catherine says nothing. She looks down at the list in front of her with a thousand thoughts and emotions going through her head at once.


	3. Chapter 3

"Why?" she questions.

"Why what?" Nick wonders.

"Why now? Why would she try..."

"She didn't have anyone, but her son," Greg answers.

"I want you to talk to the neighbor again. Figure this out," she demands.

"Cath.."Nick starts.

"Go," she cuts him off.

Nick and Greg both nod and leave the room. They drive across town and stop in front of Emily Kendall's house. The walk next door to her neighbor's house. A woman opens the door.

"Hello Mrs. Adams can we speak to you for a minute?"

"Sure why?"

"We just want to ask you a few questions about your neighbor," Nick tells her.

Greg taps Nick. "Greg..."

"Nick. Shoes. Look at the shoes."

"Ma'am what size shoe do you wear?"

"Nine why?"

"We're going to need to take your shoes as evidence," Greg tells her.

"Why? Am I a suspect?"

"Your shoes make you a person of interest," Nick tells her.

"These shoes?"

"Yes," Nick nods politely.

"These are my daughter's shoes," she tells him as she unlaces them, "I wear them to get the paper, or the mail sometimes. They're always by the door."

"You wear the same shoe size as your daughter?"

"Yes," she nods as she hands the shoes to Nick.

"Can we speak to your daughter?"

"Of course," she agrees. "Alex!" she yells.

A blonde teenager appears. "Yeah?"

"They'd like to ask you some questions," she tells the girl.

"About what?" Alex asks.

"Where were you when Emily Kendall was shot?"

"I don't know. I was probably picking up my brother from soccer practice."

"But you were home Mrs. Adams?"

"Yes I had to get ready for Jason's birthday party."

"Alex do you know what you were wearing that day?" Nick asks.

"No," she shakes her head.

"She had on a hideous orange shirt, it's her favorite. And she was wearing her brother's shorts that he outgrew."

"Did you wash them yet Mrs. Adams?" Greg asks.

"No I haven't seen them."

"Alex can you show us where your clothes are?"

"I don't know."

"You can have them. Follow me," Mrs. Adams tells them.

They follow her into the teenager's room. She digs through a pile of laundry on the floor. She pulls out a pair of shorts, an orange t-shirt, and a pair of striped socks. She gives them to Nick who places them in an evidence bag.

"Is my daughter a suspect?"

"We're just following the evidence right now," Greg answers.

"But don't go too far," Nick adds.

"Ok," Mrs. Adams agrees.

Nick and Greg return to the lab. They process the clothing.

"There is definitely GSR on her shirt," Greg smiles.

"Let's get a warrant. The gun has to be around there somewhere."

"What reason would Alex Adams have to kill Emily Kendall?"

"I don't know let's find out Greggo."

"Let's get her call records."

"I like it," Nick agrees.

They return to the Adams residence. They find the gun within fifteen minutes. They take the gun, a DNA sample, and a laptop back with them. Finally after hours of searching and processing the case breaks.

"So according to the call records Alex Adams frequently talked to Bradley Kendall," Greg tells Nick.

"Do you think that there was something going on between them?"

"She's seventeen. I wouldn't say that it's impossible."

Mandy comes into the room to join them. "Are you coming with good news I hope?"

"Yes, and no. A hair in the hallway matched the suspects, but I didn't find any thing else belonging to her in the bedroom."

"But?"

"The substance you found next to the toilet."

"Yeah what about it?" Greg questions.

"It was vomit."

"You're sure? There was hardly any there."

"I'm sure, and I tested it. It belongs to Alex Adams."

"So we have her shoe print, a hair, fingerprints all over the gun that she shot. The gun that she shot killed Emily Kendall. But what was her motive?" Nick thinks aloud.

"I think that I can help,"Wendy smiles.

"How?"

"There was blood in the vomit," she announces.

"What does that mean?" Greg asks.

"Well it can mean a lot of things, but in this particular instance there was blood in Alex Adams vomit because she's pregnant."

"I'm just thinking, but what if the baby she's pregnant with belongs to Bradley Kendall?" Greg asks.

"Why would she kill Emily? It's motive for Emily to kill Alex, not Alex to kill Emily."

"No communication was made to Bradley Kendall three days before he died until... three days ago. Three days ago Alex called Bradley Kendall's house," Greg points out.

"Why?"

"I think that we should bring Alex Adams in for questioning," Greg answers.

Brass brings Alex Adams in for questioning. Her mother sits next to her as they enter the room.

"Alex we know that you killed Emily Kendall. We have evidence placing you at the crime scene. We also have evidence that places the murder weapon in your hand," Nick tells her.

"Where were you three days before Bradley Kendall was killed?" Greg asks.

"What?"

"Your emails to Bradley Kendall stopped three days before he was killed."

"Killed? Bradley is dead?" Alex questions.

"You didn't know?" Nick asks.

"No."

"Alex why were you talking to Bradley Kendall?" her mother asks.

"You don't know Mrs. Adams?" Greg questions.

"Know what?" she answers.

"We estimate that your daughter is eight to nine weeks pregnant with Bradley's baby. That time frame would correspond with his last leave."

"You're pregnant?" she asks Alex.

"Mom you don't understand."

"Alex why did you kill his wife?" Nick asks her.

"I... just went to talk to her. I told her that I was having Brad's baby and that I wanted to talk to him."

"But she told you that you couldn't? She told you that you could never see him again."

"Yeah," she nods.

"And you were so angry that you pulled a gun and killed her."

"I didn't mean to. It happened so fast," she answers.

"And then you went in the bathroom and threw up?"

"Yes," she answers.

Alex writes out her confession, and Nick and Greg go to the break room to grab some more coffee.

"So what's going to happen to Jacob?" Greg asks.

"I guess that he'll go into foster care," Nick answers.

"Poor kid. That's no life," Greg adds.

The woman from CPS knocks on the door.

"Cindy what are you doing here?" Nick asks.

"The emergency foster family can't keep him any longer," she holds the baby as he sleeps, "I was wondering if there was a next of kin that I could speak to. There's no one to place him with right now."

Catherine just happens to be walking by. She sees the guys in the break room, and stops. They both look up at her as she stands in the doorway.

"Catherine..."

"Yes Nick?"

"Cindy is here from CPS. The emergency foster family for Jacob fell through."

Cindy turns around with Jacob in her arms. Catherine stares at the sleeping baby and her heart breaks all over again. Cindy's phone starts to ring in her pocket.

"Can you take him for a second? It might be a potential family."

Catherine nods and takes the sleeping infant from her arms. Catherine says nothing as the social worker talks on her phone. Catherine stares at the baby in her arms. He opens his big blue eyes and stares at her for a moment. He closes them and drifts back to sleep.

The social worker hangs up the phone and turns to Nick, "Is there any next of kin?" she questions.

Catherine looks at the baby in her arms, and then to Cindy, "I'm the next of kin," she announces.


End file.
